upcycle after: skirts and dresses

I’m back again with some creative and easy upcycles! I’m taking the skirts and dresses today, and you’ll see pants, leggings, tops, jackets and who knows what else in the coming days! Skirts are probably one of the easiest things to make out of almost anything – tea towels, pillowcases, old curtains, anything!

Sometimes you need to look at that overflowing linen closet with a fresh eye, or snoop through hubbies closet for some never-worn shirts, or just take a trip through the sweaters at the thrift store. Inspiration usually strikes me at the strangest times – usually when I’m doing laundry, haha! I’ve rounded up some skirts made from all types of other textiles, but look beyond these to what you have on hand.

T-shirts are one of the best garments to upcycle. You can often use the original hem so that’s a time-saver (unless you love using your double needle. Oh. You don’t? Me neither!) Another great (and easy) idea is using too-short pants and turning them into a skirt!

And how about some dresses? I gave you a few as inspiration last week, but there are so many out there! Since dresses need a tad more fabric than a skirt, you can be on the lookout for cute sheets or curtains (clearance sheets at Target? Yes, please!), billowy skirts from the thrift store…

Honestly. That gorgeous white dress on the right makes me want to cut up my Ikea kitchen curtains. I have successfully upcycled an old lace curtain for so many different garments – it’s amazing how versatile lace curtains (and curtains, in general) are! My hope is that one of these garments has inspired you to look for the unconventional! Grab that old cotton sheet, pop it in a dye bath and see what happens!